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lisashelves's Reviews (976)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 3 stars
Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for gifting me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
The accidental gatekeeper follows Everly, who went back to her hometown after her drug-selling husband lands in jail. When humans go missing and the town shuts down its magical borders, Everly must learn to control her new powers.
This book was light-hearted, humorous and sassy. The book started out really interesting, although I would’ve liked everything to be a bit more explained.
The story was very fast-paced. It felt like the characters and me as a reading had no time to breath with everything that kept on happening. It seemed a bit much and repetitive. I think it would’ve been better to pace everything that happened a bit more, so the story is a bit easier to follow. Because the fast pace, I also had to go back sometimes to remind myself who some characters were.
Everly is a fun character. She’s a mom and forty-five years old. Despite her being middle-aged, she felt really young and I felt like I could relate to hear as someone in my mid-twenties. I liked her inner thoughts. What I disliked was how she doesn’t seem to have a proper past and how her interactions with the people in town were only about their high school time.
I also feel like a lot of questions that were set by the premise weren’t answered in the end. Because of this, it feels a bit like a filler book. Many questions that were answered, were unsatisfactory to me. Including the motivation of the antagonist and how they did it.
Overall, it was a nice and fun book with a lot of humor mixed with fantasy. With how the book ended, I’m not sure I’ll continue the series.
Thank you to Netgalley and BooksGoSocial for gifting me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
The accidental gatekeeper follows Everly, who went back to her hometown after her drug-selling husband lands in jail. When humans go missing and the town shuts down its magical borders, Everly must learn to control her new powers.
This book was light-hearted, humorous and sassy. The book started out really interesting, although I would’ve liked everything to be a bit more explained.
The story was very fast-paced. It felt like the characters and me as a reading had no time to breath with everything that kept on happening. It seemed a bit much and repetitive. I think it would’ve been better to pace everything that happened a bit more, so the story is a bit easier to follow. Because the fast pace, I also had to go back sometimes to remind myself who some characters were.
Everly is a fun character. She’s a mom and forty-five years old. Despite her being middle-aged, she felt really young and I felt like I could relate to hear as someone in my mid-twenties. I liked her inner thoughts. What I disliked was how she doesn’t seem to have a proper past and how her interactions with the people in town were only about their high school time.
I also feel like a lot of questions that were set by the premise weren’t answered in the end. Because of this, it feels a bit like a filler book. Many questions that were answered, were unsatisfactory to me. Including the motivation of the antagonist and how they did it.
Overall, it was a nice and fun book with a lot of humor mixed with fantasy. With how the book ended, I’m not sure I’ll continue the series.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars
The Falling in Love Montage is a story about Saorise, who doesn’t believe in love at first sight or happy endings. Ruby is determined to change her mind during the summer holidays.
When I read the books blurb, I was very excited to start reading this book. How the cliches of rom-coms are used to shape this whole book, was something I liked more than I expected. I’m not a fan of rom-com movies, I mostly avoid them and just watch sci-fi, fantasy or action movies. Because of this, a lot of references weren’t known to me. I knew most of the titles mentioned, but not all of them. Even though, it wasn’t all known to me, I didn’t feel like I missed information to understand the story. The most amazing thing about the book is, that I wanted to start watching the movies mentioned. Especially after the comments Saorise has about them.
I loved the sarcastic nature of Saorise a lot. I found myself laughing a lot of times, reading the dialogue or the text messages between Saorise and others. Ruby is mischievous, playful and a romantic. Both characters really grew a lot over the course of this book.
I loved the overall theme of family in this book. The discussions on the complex family issues both characters have, how they’re both dealing with these issues and the changes they bring. I think how the characters handled everything was really well executed and handled really well.
The romance was really cute. I really liked how they met and how they went on cute dates from there on out and making out with each other, with no strings attached. Also, the different relationships portrayed was something I enjoyed.
I did feel like something in this book was missing, maybe that I wasn’t as invested in Saorise and Ruby as I would’ve liked or something else. I can’t really put it to words.
Overall, it was a great rom-com novel that I enjoyed reading. I would recommend this book as a perfect book to unwind after a “hard” book or if you’re looking for a fun easy read.
The Falling in Love Montage is a story about Saorise, who doesn’t believe in love at first sight or happy endings. Ruby is determined to change her mind during the summer holidays.
When I read the books blurb, I was very excited to start reading this book. How the cliches of rom-coms are used to shape this whole book, was something I liked more than I expected. I’m not a fan of rom-com movies, I mostly avoid them and just watch sci-fi, fantasy or action movies. Because of this, a lot of references weren’t known to me. I knew most of the titles mentioned, but not all of them. Even though, it wasn’t all known to me, I didn’t feel like I missed information to understand the story. The most amazing thing about the book is, that I wanted to start watching the movies mentioned. Especially after the comments Saorise has about them.
I loved the sarcastic nature of Saorise a lot. I found myself laughing a lot of times, reading the dialogue or the text messages between Saorise and others. Ruby is mischievous, playful and a romantic. Both characters really grew a lot over the course of this book.
I loved the overall theme of family in this book. The discussions on the complex family issues both characters have, how they’re both dealing with these issues and the changes they bring. I think how the characters handled everything was really well executed and handled really well.
The romance was really cute. I really liked how they met and how they went on cute dates from there on out and making out with each other, with no strings attached. Also, the different relationships portrayed was something I enjoyed.
I did feel like something in this book was missing, maybe that I wasn’t as invested in Saorise and Ruby as I would’ve liked or something else. I can’t really put it to words.
Overall, it was a great rom-com novel that I enjoyed reading. I would recommend this book as a perfect book to unwind after a “hard” book or if you’re looking for a fun easy read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars
Heartstopper: Volume One is the first graphic novel in the Heartstopper series starring Nick and Charlie, who get to know each other after they are put in a form together at their high school.
Honestly, it was just a very sweet book. You just breeze through it without noticing it. It felt like I had just started reading it five minutes before and it was already over. The art was really complementary to the story and it just fit perfectly.
Charlie and Nick are both just very sweet characters. I really liked how you could follow the development from strangers, to friends to more. I especially loved how supportive Nick was as both a friend and a teammate to Charlie. I also really liked how Charlie was comfortable with being gay and had how the story wasn’t focused on him coming to terms with his sexuality. You could see Nick questioning his, and I would’ve liked to see a bit more of that.
I loved how the story progressed, but it just felt really short and ending in a cliffhanger. I would’ve liked the story to be a bit longer, the cliffhanger I didn’t mind.
As I am not English, I’m not known with the school years the boys are in and the corresponding ages, since they're different from my own high school years in The Netherlands. I honestly thought both boys were at least sixteen years old and was surprised when I found out at the end that Charlie is only fourteen!
Overall, I really liked it and can’t wait to get my hands on the other volumes!
Heartstopper: Volume One is the first graphic novel in the Heartstopper series starring Nick and Charlie, who get to know each other after they are put in a form together at their high school.
Honestly, it was just a very sweet book. You just breeze through it without noticing it. It felt like I had just started reading it five minutes before and it was already over. The art was really complementary to the story and it just fit perfectly.
Charlie and Nick are both just very sweet characters. I really liked how you could follow the development from strangers, to friends to more. I especially loved how supportive Nick was as both a friend and a teammate to Charlie. I also really liked how Charlie was comfortable with being gay and had how the story wasn’t focused on him coming to terms with his sexuality. You could see Nick questioning his, and I would’ve liked to see a bit more of that.
I loved how the story progressed, but it just felt really short and ending in a cliffhanger. I would’ve liked the story to be a bit longer, the cliffhanger I didn’t mind.
As I am not English, I’m not known with the school years the boys are in and the corresponding ages, since they're different from my own high school years in The Netherlands. I honestly thought both boys were at least sixteen years old and was surprised when I found out at the end that Charlie is only fourteen!
Overall, I really liked it and can’t wait to get my hands on the other volumes!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars
Sing me Forgotten is a story set in a French inspired world where Memory Elixir is one of the most important things of all. Our main character is Isda, a gravoir who should not exist and can see and manipulate someones memories when they sing.
When I first read the synopsis, I was immediately reminded of Phantom of the Opera, a story which I love. A gender-bent retelling of the story and I was sold. The book luckily didn’t disappoint!
Isda was very different from other heroines I’ve read about. She was beautifully flawed and her ferocity and determination were surprising to see. Her world sees her as the villain, and she sees the world as hers. Emeric was just a fluffy, adorable bean. He was an interesting character that grew in depth as you learn more about him. Their dynamics was just lovely to read, especially their bickering. I wasn’t the biggest fan of their romance, as it didn’t really seem to be built on much other than coincidence.
I also really liked how music was woven into the magic system, which was a very unique system on itself. The way it was woven in made perfect sense for this story. It was mysterious, sad and puzzling. The world building could’ve been a bit more. You don’t really get to see much of the world outside the opera and the concept of memory elixir, while it’s unique, seemed a bit lacking in explanation. Why it was so vital was a bit lost to me.
I did find the pacing to not always be right. In the beginning it’s perfect, you get sucked into the story and I had a hard time letting go. Around the middle, the pacing lessens and it feels a bit slow, where at the end it quickens and feels a bit to rushed.
The ending was just heartbreaking. Like, heart ripped out and stomped on it heartbreaking! I had hoped for a different outcome, since I felt like this was coming, but unfortunately it didn’t. On the other hand, the ending was a perfect way to finish this novel, so I’m a bit conflicted about what sort of ending I would've preferred.
Overall, I really enjoyed this Phantom retelling. It was mysterious, heartbreaking and heartwarming and I greatly enjoyed reading it. If you’re a fan of Phantom or not, I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading this book either way.
Sing me Forgotten is a story set in a French inspired world where Memory Elixir is one of the most important things of all. Our main character is Isda, a gravoir who should not exist and can see and manipulate someones memories when they sing.
When I first read the synopsis, I was immediately reminded of Phantom of the Opera, a story which I love. A gender-bent retelling of the story and I was sold. The book luckily didn’t disappoint!
Isda was very different from other heroines I’ve read about. She was beautifully flawed and her ferocity and determination were surprising to see. Her world sees her as the villain, and she sees the world as hers. Emeric was just a fluffy, adorable bean. He was an interesting character that grew in depth as you learn more about him. Their dynamics was just lovely to read, especially their bickering. I wasn’t the biggest fan of their romance, as it didn’t really seem to be built on much other than coincidence.
I also really liked how music was woven into the magic system, which was a very unique system on itself. The way it was woven in made perfect sense for this story. It was mysterious, sad and puzzling. The world building could’ve been a bit more. You don’t really get to see much of the world outside the opera and the concept of memory elixir, while it’s unique, seemed a bit lacking in explanation. Why it was so vital was a bit lost to me.
I did find the pacing to not always be right. In the beginning it’s perfect, you get sucked into the story and I had a hard time letting go. Around the middle, the pacing lessens and it feels a bit slow, where at the end it quickens and feels a bit to rushed.
The ending was just heartbreaking. Like, heart ripped out and stomped on it heartbreaking! I had hoped for a different outcome, since I felt like this was coming, but unfortunately it didn’t. On the other hand, the ending was a perfect way to finish this novel, so I’m a bit conflicted about what sort of ending I would've preferred.
Overall, I really enjoyed this Phantom retelling. It was mysterious, heartbreaking and heartwarming and I greatly enjoyed reading it. If you’re a fan of Phantom or not, I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading this book either way.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
Six Crimson Cranes is the first book in a brand-new series. We meet Shiori, a princess in exile, a shapeshifting dragon, six enchanted cranes and a curse that needs to be broken to save everyone.
I’ve been waiting for this book to be published for forever. Ever since I knew this book was coming, I’ve been waiting and it didn’t disappoint once I finally dived into the story!
The worldbuilding is just beautiful and the way of storytelling is super engaging and it made reading this book so exciting. All the magic and mythical creatures and folklore brought to life in this world were just amazing.
The characters are truly exceptionally written. Shiori starts out as outgoing, adventurous and rebellious but after she’s cursed, she truly grows so much in dept and character. It’s amazing to see how she grows into herself and matures as everything that happens to her. She’s so much more than the self-centered princess she started out as. I loved how sarcastic Seryu was, how sweet and understanding Takkan was and how the villains, as Raikama, are depicted in this story.
I loved the relationships shows in this story. Shiori and Takkan grew closer as the story progressed from friends to something more. I loved seeing how their connection grew and expended. The relationship Shiori has with her brothers is also truly beautiful to read. The sibling bond they have warmed my heart and their love is beautiful and unconditional.
The ending was truly surprising and I loved how everything was wrapped up in this book. It makes me so exciting for the sequel! I was also super surprised when I saw a familiar name. Some aspects in the story, like the enchanters, were similar to the Spin the Dawn world, and when a name from Spin the Dawn world popped up, it made me super excited to discover how the story will continue and how the two series relate.
Overall, I immensely enjoyed reading this story. It is truly delightful and dazzling and I can’t wait to delve more into the world and the characters in coming books!
Six Crimson Cranes is the first book in a brand-new series. We meet Shiori, a princess in exile, a shapeshifting dragon, six enchanted cranes and a curse that needs to be broken to save everyone.
I’ve been waiting for this book to be published for forever. Ever since I knew this book was coming, I’ve been waiting and it didn’t disappoint once I finally dived into the story!
The worldbuilding is just beautiful and the way of storytelling is super engaging and it made reading this book so exciting. All the magic and mythical creatures and folklore brought to life in this world were just amazing.
The characters are truly exceptionally written. Shiori starts out as outgoing, adventurous and rebellious but after she’s cursed, she truly grows so much in dept and character. It’s amazing to see how she grows into herself and matures as everything that happens to her. She’s so much more than the self-centered princess she started out as. I loved how sarcastic Seryu was, how sweet and understanding Takkan was and how the villains, as Raikama, are depicted in this story.
I loved the relationships shows in this story. Shiori and Takkan grew closer as the story progressed from friends to something more. I loved seeing how their connection grew and expended. The relationship Shiori has with her brothers is also truly beautiful to read. The sibling bond they have warmed my heart and their love is beautiful and unconditional.
The ending was truly surprising and I loved how everything was wrapped up in this book. It makes me so exciting for the sequel! I was also super surprised when I saw a familiar name. Some aspects in the story, like the enchanters, were similar to the Spin the Dawn world, and when a name from Spin the Dawn world popped up, it made me super excited to discover how the story will continue and how the two series relate.
Overall, I immensely enjoyed reading this story. It is truly delightful and dazzling and I can’t wait to delve more into the world and the characters in coming books!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars
Yolk is a contemporary novel about two estranged sisters who start speaking again after June is diagnosed with cancer and needs Jayne’s identity to get lifesaving surgery.
This whole book is just one big bundle of emotions. It is super sad, filled with the suffering of the characters, and it’s also very confusing. Because of this, I struggle to put down how I feel about this book and was constantly debating between yes/no/maybe. This story is sarcastic, sad, validating, funny, chaotic and infuriating all in once.
I loved both of the sisters. Jayne is chaotic, flighty, a bit obnoxious and super aware of herself all the time. Her whole life is just one big hot mess. At the same time, she is very real and reading about her made my heart hurt. Seeing her struggle with depression and her eating disorder, the need for validation and the way she wants her sister to love her is very real and heartbreaking. I sometimes struggled to continue reading because of the raw hurt it made me feel. June is very brash and nerdy. She’s not afraid to tackle anything that comes in her way. Both are very vibrant and never shy away from who they are or masquerade as someone they’re not.
The dynamics between Jayne and Jun is messy, spiteful and sucked me right in. Having a very good relationship with my own sister I can’t imagine ever having such a relationship. But the way it developed and the layers came undone the further along you get was beautiful to read.
Overall, I’m still not sure what I truly feel about this book, but the way I can’t stop thinking about and everything it made me feel it makes it also amazing in its own way. It was just a very realistic novel.
Yolk is a contemporary novel about two estranged sisters who start speaking again after June is diagnosed with cancer and needs Jayne’s identity to get lifesaving surgery.
This whole book is just one big bundle of emotions. It is super sad, filled with the suffering of the characters, and it’s also very confusing. Because of this, I struggle to put down how I feel about this book and was constantly debating between yes/no/maybe. This story is sarcastic, sad, validating, funny, chaotic and infuriating all in once.
I loved both of the sisters. Jayne is chaotic, flighty, a bit obnoxious and super aware of herself all the time. Her whole life is just one big hot mess. At the same time, she is very real and reading about her made my heart hurt. Seeing her struggle with depression and her eating disorder, the need for validation and the way she wants her sister to love her is very real and heartbreaking. I sometimes struggled to continue reading because of the raw hurt it made me feel. June is very brash and nerdy. She’s not afraid to tackle anything that comes in her way. Both are very vibrant and never shy away from who they are or masquerade as someone they’re not.
The dynamics between Jayne and Jun is messy, spiteful and sucked me right in. Having a very good relationship with my own sister I can’t imagine ever having such a relationship. But the way it developed and the layers came undone the further along you get was beautiful to read.
Overall, I’m still not sure what I truly feel about this book, but the way I can’t stop thinking about and everything it made me feel it makes it also amazing in its own way. It was just a very realistic novel.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars
Kingdom of the Wicked is a story set in the early 20th century in Italy. When Emilia's twin sister Vittoria gets murdered, she vows to find who did it. As she's a witch, she decides to summon a demon to help her.
I really liked the overall story and plot. The magic and world-building were a bit confusing at times. It’s not clear exactly what Emilia can and can’t do as a witch. I did really like how the seven sins were used as different households of Hell with seven princes. It is also said that the story takes place in the early 1900s, but it felt more like it took place around the year 2000. It felt very modern overall and it killed the vibe a little bit. I did like the Italian used throughout the story, although it sometimes felt a bit off, like the wrong phrase or translation was used. The way the food was described had my mouth watering at all times!
I really liked Emilia and Wrath. Emilia was a very quiet girl who avoids trouble. Her sister’s death really changed her, but not in a super drastic unbelievable way. She learns to step out of her comfort zone and takes on new risks to find her sisters killer. Wrath was the big bad demon from Hell, though didn’t really come across as the demon he should be. His brothers did, but he didn’t, which was unfortunate because he wasn’t as believable because of this. Nonetheless I did really like his characters!
The enemies-to-lovers trope is one I will go down with! I love a good enemies-to-lovers and this book didn’t disappoint. I loved the dynamics between Emilia and Wrath. There bickering at times was really funny.
I would’ve liked for the story and/or plot to solve the murder of Vittoria to have been better written. In Stalking Jack the Ripper, the mystery solving and investigation process are amazing, but here it was mostly coincidences, which was unfortunate. It was quite obvious who the culprit was to me and that wasn’t the case in her other books.
The ending didn’t satisfy me. Like it just felt like it didn’t fit, I don’t exactly know how to describe it. It seemed like the author felt a need for a cliffhanger, while I personally think a solid ending would’ve been better.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It was a fun and easy read. I look forward to how this series continues.
Kingdom of the Wicked is a story set in the early 20th century in Italy. When Emilia's twin sister Vittoria gets murdered, she vows to find who did it. As she's a witch, she decides to summon a demon to help her.
I really liked the overall story and plot. The magic and world-building were a bit confusing at times. It’s not clear exactly what Emilia can and can’t do as a witch. I did really like how the seven sins were used as different households of Hell with seven princes. It is also said that the story takes place in the early 1900s, but it felt more like it took place around the year 2000. It felt very modern overall and it killed the vibe a little bit. I did like the Italian used throughout the story, although it sometimes felt a bit off, like the wrong phrase or translation was used. The way the food was described had my mouth watering at all times!
I really liked Emilia and Wrath. Emilia was a very quiet girl who avoids trouble. Her sister’s death really changed her, but not in a super drastic unbelievable way. She learns to step out of her comfort zone and takes on new risks to find her sisters killer. Wrath was the big bad demon from Hell, though didn’t really come across as the demon he should be. His brothers did, but he didn’t, which was unfortunate because he wasn’t as believable because of this. Nonetheless I did really like his characters!
The enemies-to-lovers trope is one I will go down with! I love a good enemies-to-lovers and this book didn’t disappoint. I loved the dynamics between Emilia and Wrath. There bickering at times was really funny.
I would’ve liked for the story and/or plot to solve the murder of Vittoria to have been better written. In Stalking Jack the Ripper, the mystery solving and investigation process are amazing, but here it was mostly coincidences, which was unfortunate. It was quite obvious who the culprit was to me and that wasn’t the case in her other books.
The ending didn’t satisfy me. Like it just felt like it didn’t fit, I don’t exactly know how to describe it. It seemed like the author felt a need for a cliffhanger, while I personally think a solid ending would’ve been better.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book. It was a fun and easy read. I look forward to how this series continues.
